The Trials of Tsukune Aono
by Exploding Dandelion
Summary: It began as a small ripple, but traveled the surface with growing power and speed. The hardships began forming waves and he was not sure he could fight the pulling currents. In the darkness, many reached for him, but not all hands would pull him up. Torn between those who hold him beneath the inky water and others who desperately tug him to shore, Tsukune gasped in vain for breath.
1. Disturbance

**Hello! Thank you for clicking on this story. There are a few notes before it begins, but if you don't wish to read them, feel free to skip past the bold. **

**The notes:**

**This story is a slight AU because it begins as a branching point after the second volume of the second season, but before the third volume. Everything else on the timeline has happened, though. **

**While there are no set pairings, their will be hints of much of them. I'll be trying to follow the harem threads of the story, but with Tsukune inclinations for Moka. So... Tsukune x slight harem, with extra Moka.**

**This is rated M for caution, and future chapters. **

**I will not be using the honorifics in the story, as I've mostly read the Viz translation. I don't want to muck up the writing by using something I'm not accustomed to, so I hope that's all right. Yukari will not have her verbal tic either, for the same reasons. **

**In contrast, I will do my best to anchor it in Japan. If something comes up related to the culture, I will do my best to mention it. If I miss something, let me know. Please be aware that I will not be using the normal Last Name, First Name introductions though, as it ties into some honorific use, and is one of the things I'm not as accustomed to writing. **

**Thank you for sitting through the notes. I hope those who read on will enjoy the story, and I thank you for taking the time to read. I have a lot planned here, and look forward to working more! Also, let me know what you think!**

**EDIT: Upon reflection, I changed the main character to just Tsukune to better reflect the direction, as well as show the center of the story. **

* * *

"_Are you afraid?" _

Tsukune looked down at his hands, surveying the palms and noting the small scars that ran along the skin. He was surrounded by boundless white nothingness that stretched for eternity. Or nowhere. He wasn't sure.

Looking up and witnessing the whiteness, without anything to look at or focus on, left his eyes burning. But his hands were concrete and there, and much, much easier to face. He brought them close to his eyes. Studying the palms and memorizing every scar, line, and scrape.

"_Are you afraid of what you'll see?"_

"What does that even mean?" Tsukune asked. The voice came from above, below, and every side he could imagine. It pressed on him, the vibrations of sound feeling like a sphere stretching around him. Trapping him, despite the infinity that stretched around his body.

"_Are you afraid of what others will see?"_

"Afraid of what?" He couldn't keep the bite from his voice. He dropped his hands to his sides and closed his eyes. _Let me out of here. I'm done with this-this-_

"_Are you afraid they'll hate you?"_

"Let me out."

"_Hate you the same way you do? Maybe worse. Maybe more. It's easy to hate something you don't understand. And it's even easier to hate something that smiles when blood splashes its face."_

Unbidden, an image of Tsukune's face flashed in his mind, complete with dark, spindly lines creeping up his face and his eyes red and blank. An oncoming fist. A grin. A lurch in the heart; sheer excitement thrumming through his chest.

Blood everywhere. On him and the monster who dared to swing. It was on the floor. In his clothes. It had even seeped into his bones.

"That's not who I am," Tsukune said, gritting his teeth. "I'm not that thing. I'm human."

"_Lies."_

"That isn't me." Heat bloomed in his neck, crashing through the rest of him in waves of shuddering flames. He hugged his middle and gasped, dropping to his knees as another spell hit him, rattling his brain. His head pounded, but his stomach kept curling and twisting, and he didn't dare remove his hands, fearing his insides would spill out.

"It's. Not." He groaned, biting his lip and willing the pain to disperse. He opened his eyes and looked up, seeing nothing but white. White. White. White.

"_Can you feel it?"_

"Go away. Leave me alone!"

"_It's there. Inside you. Part of you."_

"No, it's not-"

_Lies._

His eyes widened at his mind's betrayal, and as he looked to the white ground, he saw a black puddle oozing mere feet away. Bubbles expanded and popped in wet gurgles, and Tsukune watched, mesmerized as a hand rose from inky slime. It landed on the white with a squelch just as another hand sprung from the depth. Both hands dug into the floor, black liquid pooling beneath the fingertips.

_No._

The squelching noises continued as the hands hoisted up a torso, then the hips, legs, and feet. Black muck fell around it, dripping to the floor and falling in large splashes.

_It's isn't me._

It stood straight up, cracking its neck and rubbing the skin. The fingers lingered on two white puncture holes, then trailed on white, cobweb lines that wound up and down his neck. A shudder ran through the arm falling back to the side.

_It isn't me!_

It started walking, leaving goopy black prints and droplets in its wake. The path set on Tsukune, said boy tried to run, only for burning pain to coil in his legs. He remained rooted in place, but even as he shouted in his head to run. Escape. Every muscle locked.

"You're-" Tsukune's throat caught as he stared at this creature, who looked so much like him, and stood at his height, and posed as he did. Identical eyes met, but the black Tsukune smiled, baring fangs.

And the other whispered in a broken voice, "-not me."

The black Tsukune wrapped its arms around the other, leaning next his ear and muttering in a voice like his own, "It's no good to lie to yourself, Tsukune."

A crack, as if a glacier had splintered.

Then, numbing silence.

* * *

Tsukune gasped, heart leaping into his throat as his eyes snapped open. He swallowed and tried to catch his breath, staring at his outstretched hand, then to the ceiling as he let the limb fall back to the bed. He closed his eyes to the slowly brightening room, a cracked window revealing pale, morning light.

Tsukune pressed his palms to his eyes, groaning and turning over, before shuddering at the sweat he felt dripping down his back. He glanced at his holy lock, the chains clinking as he moved his wrist.

_A dream. Nightmare. _

Shaking his head, Tsukune pushed himself up and pressed his forehead to his knees. Images danced at the corners of his mind. Numbing whiteness, dread, lies, all dredged up and swirled in a blurred mess. The dream slipped through his fingers as quickly as he reached for it, and all that remained was an odd numbing from his neck down, and a coldness that spread through his chest.

Groaning, Tsukune shoved himself the rest of the way up and stumbled to the bathroom, stretching his limbs. He glanced at his clock before shutting the door, scowling at the flashing numbers. _Sure, let's have a nightmare an hour before I even need to be up. Thanks life, I really owe you one. _

He went through his routine on autopilot, his mind still fogged from the dream and lack of sleep. He reached for the images again, slipping his shirt over his head and flattening his unruly brown locks..

_White everywhere. _

_And something else. A voice. But what did it say? Something about fear? Lies? I don't get it._ He narrowed his eyes, barely even blinking as he snatched an apple from the fridge and chewed at the skin. _Why am I even having this thing to begin with? Did I stay up too late or something?_

He chomped on the apple, making sure to bite hard enough to lodge it in his teeth as he shoved his things into his schoolbag. He was out the door in moments, although he hardly seemed to notice it.

_It feels off, whatever it is. I don't like it. _The holy lock caught his eye again, and Tsukune bit his lip. _Maybe I'm just worried about the lock. I mean, we're barely back in school and I've already wound up losing it once. _

Tsukune's face warmed as he turned the corner, and he stopped a moment, swaying at his feet. Jamming his eyes shut, he shook his head and took another big bite of the apple, ignoring the vertigo that hit him in searing jolts. A gentle breeze whistled past his ear, and after several deep breaths, Tsukune felt it was safe to walk again.

"Just what I need, more weird body changes," Tsukune mumbled, trying to shrug off the residue heat pooling between his shoulder blades. He nibbled on the apple and glanced around, unaware of his slowing pace and sluggish, dragging feet.

Tree branches brushed against each other in the wind, some of the few leaves on them shaking off and fluttering to the ground. Graves stood as small towers in ever available bit of earth, and Tsukune let his eyes wander to the names of the closer ones. His head still buzzed, but focusing on the familiar, however morbid, helped pull him back into the real world.

_I should just forget the dream. _Tsukune took the last bite of the apple and twirled the core in his fingers, letting his eyes wander. _The year's barely started, so there's no reason to get down so soon. I'm sure things will be fine._

Squaring his shoulders, Tsukune picked up his feet and hurried to Yokai Academy, sliding past a few of the early students with little trouble and heading down the halls. Unsure of what to do with his extra time, Tsukune's feet began to lead him to the clubroom, his haven during and after school.

Walking through the doorway, Tsukune's eyes scanned and found no one, though he wasn't too surprised. He strode into the room and laid his things down by one of the nearest desks. His gaze lingered on some of the papers and layout plans that littered the room, and some of their forgotten papers and books.

Tsukune slid into his chair and smiled, kicking his feet a little and closing his eyes. "It'll be a good year, I think," he said aloud, eyes glazing over.

_Moka and I might get closer...we'll get some of the best issues of the paper out this year. I won't _die_. And who knows,_ Tsukune lifted his wrist again, eying the lock, _I might even learn to control this power better. _

Tsukune smiled to himself and closed his eyes, dozing. The clubroom was pleasantly cool, and his body allowed the walk and lack of decent sleep catch up with him. His head slipped down his arm until his chin landed on the desk, his arm acting as an awkward pillow. _Just a few minutes..._

"Tsukune?" Said boy jumped, nearly toppling from his seat at Gin walked inside, raising an eyebrow at him. Gin put a hand to his mouth, stifling a chuckle while Tsukune righted himself. "Little early, don't you think?"

"I could say the same to you," Tsukune said, cheeks red.

"Hey now, don't go crawling up my back already." Gin held out a camera, smirking wide. "I've been getting some much needed pictures for the newspaper. In fact, you should be thanking me. I'm working 'round the clock to insure our paper's success."

"I didn't know success was in the girls' locker room," Tsukune said, rolling his eyes.

"It's the best place to start looking, Tsukune. You still have so much to learn." Gin's smile widened at the growing blush on Tsukune's face, the boy pointedly glaring at the floor instead of him. "Oh, what is it Tsukune? Need some pointers on how to really get into _investigative_ journalism."

"Do you ever stop?" Tsukune buried his face into his arms, heat creeping down his neck at Gin's laughter.

"I can show you the best ways to look. There are a couple of cracks in some of the walls at the west side of the building. The girl's tennis team would hardly notice if someone-"

"Ugh!" Tsukune tried to cover his ears, but the images of girls slipping out of their tennis clothes, from the pure white bras to the giggles hidden behind cupped hands, filled his head. "Quit corrupting me."

Gin rolled his eyes and walked up to Tsukune's desk, tapping him on the head with the camera. "Like you're one to talk. Look at all the girls falling over you."

"It's not-well-" Tsukune snapped his mouth shut and groaned. "Leave me alone about that."

"Are you kidding? You know how many guys would kill to be in your place right now?"

Tsukune glared at Gin. "Um, yeah? You tried, for one. And there's a long list of homicidal guys before and after you that have tried it too."

Gin shrugged. "I guess that's what happens when wimpy looking guys like you are popular. No one understands why, so they just want to rip your guts out."

"I feel so much better after this conversation, Gin." Tsukune sighed, glancing at the classroom door. "I'll be sure to watch over my shoulder."

"Yeah, probably for the best. I saw a few guys giving you the evil eye on your way in here." Gin chuckled as Tsukune's jaw dropped, shaking his head and leaning on a desk.

Silence fell between them and both boys shifted in their respective positions. Tsukune looked down at the desk, biting his lip. _I'm almost never alone around Gin. What do I even say to him? Do I know his favorite color? _

_I'm so socially articulate, it hurts. _

"Tsukune," Gin said, startling Tsukune from his thoughts. "Why are you here so early?"

Tsukune blinked, slowly easing his gaze away. "Eh, had a weird night. Woke up early, decided this was the best place to hang out till school started."

"Weird night?"

"A...dream, I guess." Tsukune shrugged, avoiding Gin's eyes. "It's not a big deal or anything. I just figured it'd be easier to get going. Or something." Tsukune felt Gin's eyes on him, rolling his left shoulder and wishing the wolf would look away. He swallowed, glancing back at Gin. "I mean, what's it matter? I can help before school, and it'll be easier on us later. So-so, what do we need done now?"

"Um..." Gin looked around, caught off guard by the sudden question. "Honestly, I'm not quite sure where you guys are at with the paper right now."

_As always_.

Tsukune stood, the chair scraping against the floor. "Guess I could look at the layout and see if there's-"

"Tsukune?" Both boys looked toward the door, Ms. Nekonome popping in. She smiled at them, but her ears twisted from side to side, and her tail was swishing low to the ground. "I-I went to look for you in your dorm, but someone said...well, here you are!"

"Mi-"

"Well, um-" She swallowed and looked out the hall, then back to Tsukune. "There's a call waiting for you. It sounded a bit urgent, so I thought-"

Tsukune's heart skipped but he tried to quell the wave of fear that filled him. "C-call?"

"Yes, she said her name was Kyouko, and that she needed-" Tsukune ran past his teacher, barely glancing at her as he sped down the hallway. His turns were sharp and hurried, and he nearly barreled into several students as he maneuvered the halls. Sweat beaded at the back of his neck, and a cold sensation ran down his chest.

_Don't get so worked up. Maybe she's just calling to check up on me. I mean, she knows what this place is now. She has every right to be worried. _

His shoulder caught on the corner of his next turn, but the throbbing didn't reach his racing thoughts.

_It's just a check-up call. She's worried. She's just calling because she's worried._

Another teacher was already in the room, holding the phone and nodding at Tsukune as he skidded next to him. Tsukune snatched the phone away and pressed it to his head, clutching his chest and willing his breathing to even out.

"H-hello?" _Stop stuttering, you idiot!_

"Tsukki?" Kyouko's voice sounded small on the other end, but Tsukune pushed the sound away. _It's because we're so far apart. The connection must be bad. I mean, it has to travel through a barrier. That's sure to cause some static._

"Hey, Kyouko! What's got you calling-"

"Tsukki."

He flinched at her tone. Broken. Scared and strained.

"Kyou-Kyou, what is it-"

"They're gone, Tsukki."

His heart seized. The air blew from his lungs and his stomach bottomed out. He tried to think. Tried to speak. Kyouko sobbed on the other end, and the world pressed on Tsukune. The cold reached in and scraped out his insides, leaving him hollow in the middle, and light in the head.

And each cry was like a shot to the chest.

"I don't know where they are, Tsukki," she continued. Tsukune's legs wobbled. The room tilted and he tried to breathe. "I-I came to visit them, to see how they were doing while you were gone, but-but the door was wide open."

_No. No. No. No._

"There-I mean, I saw something black, but...no blood. I-I called the police. But they can't do anything yet! And I'm worried. What-what of it's...I don't think-"

_This isn't happening._

"Oh, Tsukki! I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Where did they go? Where did they go?"

Her voice rose in pitch, every word sharp to the ear. Tsukune just stared ahead at the blurring, swaying world.

"Please, be okay. They have to be. Oh, please don't take my aunt and uncle. Please, please, please-"

Tsukune couldn't speak. Couldn't breathe. Even as Kyouko let out another rough, wrenching sob that shot static through the line, he couldn't make a sound. Even when all he heard was her crying 'please' into the phone, over and over again, he couldn't manage to move.

"Please, please, please don't take them."

In seconds, his world had been torn in two.


	2. Creeping Fear

**Hello again! Thank you to those who are reading. This chapter is much longer than the last, and I think I'm beginning to hit my stride. **

**Anonymous Review(s):**

**Reader: Thank you! I'm glad you think the story can go somewhere. Hopefully it won't disappoint. Thank you for the review!**

**Anyway, thank you again for those who have chosen to read my story. Feedback is appreciated and very much encouraged(I love reviews!), but I'm glad no matter what! **

**Onward!**

* * *

Moka hummed to herself as she walked down the halls of the school, swinging her bag with gusto. The eyes of the male population landed on her as she passed, but she hardly seemed to notice their looks anymore. Instead her mind wandered, _I can't wait to see Tsukune! Who knows, maybe he'll let me have a little drink! I can almost smell him now._

The words sang in her head, but then she slowed down, glancing out a nearby window. The bare trees that dotted the campus drew her eyes at first, but soon she was looking through the students hanging around outside. The green uniforms were bright against the dreary, gray landscape, but Moka looked away when she couldn't find the person she wanted.

"Come to think of it," Moka muttered, "I didn't see him this morning. That's so weird..." _I hope he's not sick! Did I drink too much yesterday. Oh, I have to apologize if I did!_

"You didn't see Tsukune?" Moka jumped when Kurumu ran up to her, eyes blazing. Moka brushed a stray pink lock from her face, gulping.

"N-no. I didn't see him anywhere this morning."

Kurumu growled, hands heading for her bag. "And I even made some breakfast cookies for him. They'll go bad if someone doesn't eat them." Kurumu jabbed a finger at Moka, glaring. "He better not be avoiding us because of you."

Moka's heart seized and she shook her head. "No! No, I don't think that's the reason." _At least, I hope that's not the reason..._ Moka let out several shaky laughs, turning around and heading down the hall. "I'm sure we'll see him in class! Or, maybe we'll catch Mizore! She knows where he is most of the time."

"Not today though."

Both girls shrieked when Mizore's head popped out of the ceiling, the snow fairy letting herself fall to the floor with a sigh. "I waited at my usual spot, but he never showed up."

"That's no good," Kurumu said. "Today won't be any fun if Tsukune's not here."

Moka bit her lip, eyes straying to the newspaper club's classroom. Her eyes widened when she saw Yukari hanging near the edge of the doorway, hands clutched tightly around her wand. Moka turned to the others and nodded, all three heading toward the witch.

Yukari didn't even blink when she felt the other girls behind her. She flattened her hat, swallowing hard. "Ms. Nekonome and Gin are talking about something," Yukari paused, dropping her voice, "...in hushed whispers."

"Hushed whispers?" Kurumu muttered.

Yukari nodded, shoulders tensing. "And they're meeting in the clubroom so early before school. Maybe they're..."

Kurumu's eyes popped. "No way."

"A secret rendezvous," Mizore whispered.

"Between lovers?" Moka cupped a hand over her mouth, staring hard between the two. "You don't think that Gin would really try to hit on a teacher, do you?"

"Of course he would. He probably has some weird student-teacher fantasy thing cooked up. Unless." Kurumu gasped, shaking her head. "You don't think Ms. Nekonome put the moves on Gin, do you? I mean, she can't be _that_ lonely!"

"Maybe that's why Gin was appointed the position this year! It was a secret love favor for her significant other." Yukari nodded, cheeks flaring. "It all makes sense now. Why else would Gin still be on the paper after all the pictures he's taken of every girls' changing room."

"I was actually kind of hoping that Ruby would get with Gin. There'd be one less girl after Tsukune," Mizore said, glancing away.

"Oh! Good point, ice girl. Maybe it's not too late," Kurumu said, giggling.

"Guys, we can't break them up just because of that! It's not fair to them," Moka said, shaking her head.

"Um...are you done with this weird theory of yours?" All the girls jumped at Gin's voice, heads snapping back to meet the werewolf and his raised eyebrows. "I mean, seriously, could you talk any louder?"

"And who said I was desperate!" Ms. Nekonome threw her hands in the air, tail going limp. "I'm not desperate. No way. If anything, he'd be lucky-" She clamped her jaw shut and looked away, breathing in and out several times before facing them again. Red streaked across her face, and her tail twitched behind her. "So, what are you all doing here?"

"Heading to class! You're going to be late too, and you're the teacher! That's no good," Yukari said, looking around. Her eyes widened when they landed on a familiar bag, and she gasped. "Is that Tsukune's?"

Moka looked where Yukari pointed, swallowing when she saw it really was Tsukune's bag. _He's already here? But then, why didn't he say-wait, where is he?_

Moka looked around the classroom, but couldn't see any other sign of Tsukune. Her eyes stopped on Ms. Nekonome, biting her lip when the teacher's tail drooped.

"Ah, yes, that's his. He had to go take a call though. I don't know when he'll be back. Maybe we should just take it to class with us?"

"What was that call about, anyway?" Gin asked Ms. Nekonome. All eyes strayed to him, and he shifted his shoulders under their gazes. "I mean, you haven't been right since you came in here about it."

Ms. Nekonome whined, looking away. "I-I really don't know. It just sounded important. We weren't able to get much information. The girl just kept crying for Tsukune. I'm not even sure how she got through...I don't think she was on the approved caller list, but maybe it changed?"

Moka shuddered, a chill settling in her chest. "Do you have _any_ idea of when Tsukune will be back?" she asked, clasping her hands. "It's not too serious, is it?"

"I'm not sure." Ms. Nekonome sighed, ears folding down. "I wish I knew more. When I told him it was this girl Kyouko, he up and shot out of here before I could get another word in."

The cold spread to Moka's stomach, leaving it tight. "Kyouko was the one who called?" Moka took a deep breath, playing with the tip of her rosario. _That doesn't sound good at all._

"_We may need to speak with Tsukune," _Inner-Moka said. Outer-Moka nodded to herself, feeling a bit at ease with her other self so close to her.

"Let's go find Tsukune then!" Kurumu started for the door, shoulders squared. "No way am I letting him face this alone."

"But you don't even know what he's facing yet!" Yukari rolled her eyes, grabbing Kurumu by the wrist. "Shouldn't we wait and hear what's going on?"

"I'm not the kind of person that can just sit around, not knowing how my mate is holding up!"

"Who said he was your mate?" Mizore asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Come on, icicle girl. Like you really have a chance-"

The door slammed open, bouncing off the wall with a bang. Everything stilled in the classroom, eyes shifting from the door to the harried, shallow-breath Tsukune as he rushed inside. Tsukune threw himself at his things before anyone could utter a word and hardly seemed to notice all the eyes on him.

His hair shielded his eyes and his mouth was twisted into a snarl, growls escaping him as he tried to stuff a loose notebook inside the bag. The book only bent in his fingers, and after several shoves and curses, Tsukune chucked it across the room.

Moka's wide eyes followed the outburst, her legs trembling as Tsukune flung the bag over his shoulders and made to storm out of the room. Moka tried to speak, but the words caught in her throat, and only a strangled sound escaped her. None of the other girls had reached their senses either; each stared at Tsukune with open mouths and fearful gazes.

But Gin stepped forward and grabbed Tsukune by the shoulder, holding the boy back. Moka held her breath, watching Tsukune tense and clench his fists.

"Let go." Tsukune's voice was low and Moka shuddered at the waves of dark, angry energy that just seeped from him. Tsukune gnashed his teeth, pulling at Gin's firm grip. Above them, the bell for class started ringing, yet the noise was dampened by the standoff.

"Tell us what's up, and I may just do it." Gin glanced at Ms. Nekonome. She nodded, biting her lip and taking a step forward.

"Come on, Tsukune. I'm sure if we talk this out, we'll be able-"

"There's no time!" Tsukune ripped himself from Gin's grip, tearing down the hall before the wolf could grasp him again. Gin and the girls piled out of the room, watching as Tsukune tried to barrel his way past a wave of students. Ms. Nekonome watched fearfully before heading for the classroom phone, leaving the students to Tsukune.

"T-Tsukune..." Moka mumbled, shaking herself out of her stupor. "Tsukune, wait! Wait! We just-we want to help!"

Tsukune's body jerked at her words, twitching oddly as he tried to decide to stop or run, but he tripped over his own feet and landed headfirst into another student. Boxes and papers exploded in the air before fluttering to the ground, the victim spluttering as Tsukune rose from the wreckage.

"I'm sorry, did I run into you?" the boy asked, scooping up the papers and trying to shove them back into the boxes. "It's so hard to see where I'm going-"

"Sorry," Tsukune said, briefly touching the boy's shoulder before springing up and running down the hall. Gin wasn't far behind Tsukune, and Moka tried to keep her eyes on them, watching as Gin quickly closed the gap. Tsukune turned a corner and Gin disappeared around it a second later. Moka gasped for breath as she made it around next, hearing the others not far behind her. Tsukune made another turn into the courtyard, Gin on his heels.

"Tsukune, wait! Idiot!" Gin made a leap for the teen, grabbing his waist and yanking him to the ground. Moka and Kurumu were the next ones there, skidding to their knees and trying to pin Tsukune down as he struggled against Gin. Tsukune kicked and punched at them, clawing at the ground as he tried to peel himself away from their grasps. Moka glanced behind her at a sudden chill and watched ice creep around Tsukune's ankles.

"Mizore..."

A sharp curse from Tsukune brought Moka's eyes back to him, and she held on to his legs as tightly as she could, swallowing hard. Kurumu pushed her hands on his back and Gin slid up to Tsukune's arm, pinning him down.

"Are you always this thrashy?" Gin mumbled, glaring at Tsukune.

"Let me go! Let me go, now!"

"Tell us what's wrong," Gin said. Gin locked eyes with Yukari and Mizore, both girls pinning down Tsukune's legs so Moka could slide up and talk with him. The moment Moka relieved some of the pressure Tsukune began to kick, but the girls locked him down before he could buck free.

"Tsukune, what's wrong?" Moka tried to catch his eyes, but he kept thrashing his head, refusing to look at any of them.

"Just let me go!"

"Tsukune!"

Moka jumped at how harsh Gin sounded, but Tsukune's struggling died down until he was just rubbing his forehead against the dirt, moaning the words, "Please. Please. Please let me go. No, please. Don't. No. No, no, no, no-" He kept repeating the last word until his entire body stilled, and Moka brushed the bangs from his eyes, throat closing at the tears she saw.

"Please. Please. Please." Again and again. Quieter, hardly a whisper, as his body stilled in their combined grip. Moka swallowed and leaned in closer to his mouth, trying to hear his low murmur. "I have to save them. This can't be happening. This isn't-go-I need to go-"

"Tsukune," Moka said, loosening her grip. She looked toward the others until they did the same, leaving Tsukune face down on the ground. He gripped the stone beneath his hands, pushing himself up. Everyone but Moka tensed, expecting another fight to keep Tsukune in place, but he only sat on his legs and wiped at his eyes. Moka inched toward him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Tsukune, what is-"

"They're gone." Tsukune shuddered, the words coming out as a gasp. "They're gone. I don't know where, and I need to get home and find them. I need to go."

Moka's eyes widened, and her grip on Tsukune's shoulder tightened. "Tsukune, who-who is gone? Come on, we can..." She trailed off, waves of heavy nausea hitting her. She knew who was gone. Or at least, had a good idea.

Tsukune shook his head and stood, running a hand through his hair. "I need to go. I need to find them and save them-"

"Tsukune, wait!" Kurumu said, glancing at the others before stepping in front of him. "You're barely making any sense. Come on, let's just go back and talk-"

"My parents are gone!" The words shot through the air, his voice cracking. He looked at Kurumu, eyes quivering and wide. "I need to go back and find them!"

"And we'll help!" Moka grabbed his arm, missing the fleeting glare Kurumu sent her. She met eyes with Tsukune, smiling slightly. "We're all right here, Tsukune. We'll help you, as long as you let us."

Tsukune stared at her, his tense muscles slowly relaxing. He swallowed, taking several deep breaths as he waited for his head to cool and everything to make sense again. In the back of his mind, something was still thrashing around-his heart was tight and his body too warm. He couldn't tell if he should cry or scream, only that his body waged civil war in pursuit of the answer.

"Tsukune?"

But Moka squeezed his arm again and he nodded, biting his lip. "Thank you, Moka. Thank you." He closed his eyes and Moka released his arm, turning toward the others.

"Now that that's all settled, we need to figure out how we're going to do this!"

"We'll need to get a ride to the human world," Yukari said, tapping her wand to her chin. "Which means we'll need to get a hold of that weird bus driver."

"And we'll need supplies," Tsukune said. "Money, clothes, the works. I don't know how long we'll be there, but it can't hurt."

"But will we be able to go?" Mizore sucked hard on her lollipop, eyebrows worried. "This is different than some class trip. It might be hard to get permission."

"Then I'll find another way to get there," Tsukune said, voice low. "I don't care what it takes, I'm not going to just-just sit here and wait for news. I don't think it's normal-no, it definitely isn't some normal disappearance. It doesn't make any sense at all-what would be going on in my parent's lives that they'd just be-be missing?"

Moka reached for his arm again but Tsukune walked out of her reach, running a hand through his hair. "But, if it were something to do with me, and me coming here, then I could understand it. Then-then, their disappearance isn't as strange. I don't..." Tsukune grew quiet, but Moka leaned in to hear him. "I don't want to think that I'm the cause...but what else is there? Nothing else makes sense."

"But who?" Kurumu asked. "I mean, there are so many bad guys after us-after you, it would be hard to narrow it down."

"Hard, but not impossible," A voice said from behind them. All of them jumped and looked around, eyes widening as Ruby and Gin approached.

"What?" Tsukune said, "You mean you-you know?" Tsukune's eyes shifted to Gin.

"Figured, since you guys were doing such a good job ignoring me, I'd go get someone who can actually help us," Gin said, smirking and placing a hand on Ruby's shoulder. "And I just happened to meet this pretty thing on my way."

Ruby smiled and waved at Tsukune, but her eyes were dark as she approached him. "The headmaster already heard about what happened. And the rest of the faculty have been informed as well. An investigation is already underway."

"I'm still go-"

"We know," Ruby said, raising her hand. "The arrangements have been made. We work pretty fast when we need to. In one hour, all of us-" Ruby waved around at the girls, Tsukune, and even Gin, whose eyes just widened at the inclusion, "-will be heading to the human world."

For a moment, all Tsukune could was was stare as Ruby, eyes wide. But eventually he nodded, heart clenching. He narrowed his eyes, grabbing Ruby's arm when she made to turn away. "Who did this, Ruby?" She stiffened in his grip, but he just squeezed harder. "Please, tell me. I need to know who we're facing...and I'll find out anyway. The sooner the better."

Ruby nodded, sighing at his low voice and sad, pleading words. She turned to him, and said in as flat a voice as she could muster, "Hitomi Ishigami, Yokai Academy's former art teacher."

* * *

When Tsukune entered his dorm room, swearing to meet the others by the bus stop within the hour, his mind was surprisingly clear. His body had relaxed, tight muscles loosening and letting him breathe with more ease. And as he pulled out a dark blue duffel bag from under the bed, he already had an idea of what to pack.

_First-Aid kit. Toothbrush. A few extra clothes. All the human world money I have. ID card. Notebook._ He ticked off each item as it was carefully placed inside the bag. Clothes first, then the kit, the notebook, and all the other small items near the top. He didn't think of much else-not his parents or his sister-cousin, or the art teacher or his friends.

_We'll need to find another way to get to my house. There's only so far the bus can take us before it starts to look weird. But maybe somewhere nearby, and then we can just on foot from there._

Within minutes he was out the dorm and heading down the campus, trying to sort out plans and possible problems and all their possible solutions.

But he did not think of where his parents could be. Or that they might be dead. That he might be the reason that this happened.

Not thinking about it was easier; that much his mind and body had decided together. Everything else was a haze of white noise, filtered out so that everything could be carried on to the last detail.

To save his parents or find their bodies, Tsukune was still unsure.

Yet, when he approached the bus stop and saw the others were already there as well, even though they had another half hour before the bus came, his stomach clenched. The world swayed for a second but he kept his feet steady, standing next to Moka and nodding at her before quickly shifting his eyes to the ground.

Standing there, in a world entirely separate from both the human and monster reality, Tsukune felt the weight that had crushed him at the phone squeeze him again. The heavy, liquid lead trickled into his body, pooling in his stomach and dragging down his arms. Being there, with the others, made it real again.

He did not want this to be real anymore.

"Tsukune? Tsukune, you look pale."

"Sorry, Moka. Just...I need a second." He kept his eyes hidden, face flushing. _Stop acting weak! Now's not the time to have a breakdown._

"We'll find them, Tsukune. We promise." Tsukune blinked, glancing up at Gin. Gin gave Tsukune a long, hard stare, only to break out in a grin a few seconds later. "With me around, there's no way Ishigami will get away. And we'll find your parents no problem to boot."

Gin raised an eyebrow, mouth opening when Tsukune started shaking, rubbing at his eyes and dropping his gaze to the ground. "Hey, don't do that. Geez, what's with that kind of reaction, most-"

"Thank you," Tsukune said, shaking his head once more before looking up at Gin. "Thank you for helping me. I-"

"Don't." Gin turned away, sniffing at the air. "It's weird. You're usually the positive, cavity inducing one. So...it's weird, to have you...I don't know. Just shut up."

"Be nice!" Kurumu cried, rushing at Gin only to screech when he grabbed her boob and squeezed. "Pervert!" She slammed his head down with a well-aimed punch, sending him crashing to the dirt. Her eyes blazed as she stomped on his back and rushed to Tsukune, grabbing his arm. "Keep him away from me!"

"Pervert? Really Kurumu?" Yukari said, smiling. "Considering your idea of a hug, I don't think you're in a position to complain."

"Th-that's different! Tsukune actually likes it."

"Watch it, balloon girl. I think you're getting a little overconfident." Mizore trailed off when she glanced at Tsukune, who stared down the road with a glazed, empty look. The air shifted and fell silent, everyone staring around and picking at their packs, clothes, or hair.

Moka stayed as close as Tsukune as she could without incurring the others' wrath, and Ruby kept a vigil closest to the road, looking for the first sign of the bus. Kurumu seemed torn between hugging Tsukune and holding his hand, glancing him up and down before settling to join him on his other side.

Tsukune narrowed his eyes as the seconds, _Is it really just seconds? It feels like hours_, ticked by. Each moment gave way to another image that he's been fighting off earlier. His parents, dead in some warehouse, their innards torn out. Or turned to stone, tears streaming down their faces as they sat in immobile awareness. Or had Ishigami introduced some new monster to them, delighting in whatever way it could torture his parents.

_Electrocution, illusions, devoured alive-_

"Tsukune." Moka's voice made him flinch and he gasped for breath, whipping around and trying to catch the bus. He spotted it down the road, steadily making it's way toward the group, but Moka tugged at his sleeve. "Tsukune, you were turning green. Are you sick? Do you need some medicine?"

Painfully aware of the other eyes on him, Tsukune rubbed the back of his neck and shook his head. "Sorry. Just thinking too much. But I'm all right, Moka. Really." The bus pulled up next to them, sending a few leaves rustling at the wheels. Tsukune picked up his bag and nodded as the doors opened. "I'll be okay. Promise."

He bit his lip when she continued to stare at him, her worried eyes looking him up and down before giving him a slow nod. Holding back a sigh, Tsukune turned back and headed inside, catching the eyes of the bus driver.

"Heard you're having a rough time," he said in his low, guttural voice. "But you'll figure it out."

"Without a doubt," Tsukune said as he went for his seat. "There's no way I'm letting this go."

"That's what I like to hear..." The bus driver trailed off as the others piled inside, already in the throes of an argument.

"I want to sit next to Tsukune," Mizore said, slipping her way past Kurumu, only to be grabbed from behind. Kurumu hissed, trying to pull Mizore away while Yukari ducked down to sneak past them. "No way," Mizore managed between pants, reaching an icicled hand over and freezing Yukari in place.

"No way to you too! Like you deserve to be anywhere near-"

"Girls," Tsukune said, swallowing hard and staring out the window. "Can we-can we please get going?" He gripped the loose folds of his pants, letting out a shaky breath. "The sooner we get there, the better." He looked toward them, slumping at their worried and hurt looks. "I'm sorry. I just-I don't want to be rude. I-"

"Stop explaining yourself, Tsukune." Gin rolled his eyes as he stepped on the bus, helping Ruby and Moka inside as the others headed silently to their seats. "Believe it or not, we get why you're being like this."

"Yeah! Don't worry so much!" Yukari said, pumping her wand into the air from the seat behind him.

"We should be apologizing," Mizore said, fiddling with her lollipop stick. "We're being immature and you're just trying to help your family."

Moka stood near Tsukune's seat, looking at the other girls before slowly sliding next to him. She gave him a small smile, eyes warm. "We're here for you, Tsukune. Don't forget that."

Tsukune nodded, eyes burning once more. _How many times are they gonna do that today? _"Thank you. All of you."

_I won't forget this._

_Promise._

* * *

Moka's mouth opened in silent awe as they passed through the tunnel, the warped scenery giving way to a city. Bright blue skies hit them overhead, and in the distance a smattering of trees and buildings cluttered around each other.

_It's been a while since we've been to Tsukune's home. _Moka bit her lip and glanced at Tsukune, who watched the passing landscape with dull eyes. _I wish it were under better circumstances. It's strange seeing Tsukune like this._

_And sad..._

Moka looked down at her lap, sending Tsukune glances from the cover of her bangs. Ever now and again she would catch a glimpse of Ruby messing with something in her own, stuffed bag, but otherwise the bus was still and silent.

Moaning snapped Moka's eyes back to Tsukune, and she brought a hand to her mouth when she saw him press a hand over his chest. "Tsukune? Tsukune, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said, voice oddly calm. He took a deep breath and straightened himself. "Just a weird chest pain. It's gone now."

"But what if it comes back?" Moka moved closer, turning Tsukune's shoulder so he'd face her. She narrowed her eyes at the spot he'd rubbed, pulling back the shirt to try and get a look.

"Moka! Don't take advantage of Tsukune!" Moka ignored Kurumu's cries and pulled the shirt down more, straightening herself to look down his shirt. Tsukune's face burned red, and the color splashed down his neck and torso.

"M-Moka, please don't-"

"There's a mark." Moka poked at a strange, red blemish on his skin, earning a hiss from Tsukune. "How did it-"

"Maybe I ran into something? Not that unlikely, after this morning." Tsukune tried to pull himself away, only to feel the cool metal of the bus behind him. His heart raced and he pulled at his shirt. "I'm sure it'll go away. There's nothing wrong."

"Wait, Tsukune, I-I'm about to-"

"Moka, please, I don't think I can-agh!" He jumped when her fangs sunk into his neck, the rushing sound of his blood flowing into her mouth breaking through his thoughts. The color the blush had given drained, and Tsukune's head fell back onto the window as Moka sucked on his blood.

Ending the feeding with a wet smack of the lips, Moka scratched her cheek, a bright blush of her own growing. "I'm sorry! It's just-you smelled so good, and being right there-I think I made it worse! I was supposed to look for something wrong, but here I go-"

"It's okay, Moka." He placed a hand on her shoulder, his eyes warm and soft. Moka's breath caught but the moment was over with a screech from Kurumu. As Moka turned to apologize, Tsukune went back to staring out the window. Not long after, silence won over the group once more, and Moka could only steal glances again.

"We'll need to stop here," Tsukune said as they came upon a bus stop. Everyone but the bus driver had jumped at the sudden noise, but Tsukune paid them no notice. He reached for his bag and made to stand up before the bus had even slowed down. He gripped the sit in front of him to keep himself from swaying, and Moka joined him soon after, watching him from the corner of her eye.

"Tsukune-"

"Before we go to my house, I want to find a phone." Moka blinked at how tight his voice sounded, gasping and throwing her hand on the seat to keep from falling when the bus halted. She shook her head and stepped into the corridor, tilting her head.

"Why? I thought-"

"I just realized that Kyouko is still there is all. I want to make sure that she didn't get taken too, in between all this."

"Tsukune," Moka said softly, reaching for him as he stepped out and headed for the door.

"I know it sounds stupid, but I just need to make sure."

"N-no! It's not stupid, Tsukune. I'm just-we're all just worried." Moka looked down, feeling the others looming behind her. "We just-we want to make sure you're all right."

Tsukune paused, staring at Moka before shifting his gaze to his friends that stood behind her. Slowly, he nodded at each of them, before settling on Moka again. "Well, I'm not okay right now," Tsukune said, chest swelling as he took a long, deep breath. "But as soon as we find my parents, we'll all go out for something to eat."

"What?" Moka asked, blinking. "But-but why-"

"I'll even pay for it all. Think of it as my way for repaying you guys."

"But Tsukune, you don't have to do something like that." Kurumu leaned forward, shaking her head. "We'd do this for you in a heartbeat!"

"I know that. But...I still want to thank you." Tsukune straightened up and smiled, sending crinkles to his soft eyes. Moka's entire chest loosened, as if she had been holding her breath all day, and she realized what was missing.

_He hadn't smiled at all today. Whenever I saw him, he had a frown, or just a line. No smile. _

_But now it's here!_

And her heart swelled at the sight of it.

"So...let's get going," Tsukune said, looking away when they remained silent. The bus driver gave a few dark chuckles before opening the door to let Tsukune and the others out.

The girls stuck as close to Tsukune as they could as they stepped foot into the human world, the sounds of life hitting them on all sides. Gin stepped away though, holding a hand over his eyes and glaring around. Tsukune hummed and started toward one of the buildings, causing the others to jump and scurry after him.

"I still don't like the city much," Ruby said, glancing to the sides and behind her.

"I know...but with Tsukune, there's no way it'll turn out too bad, right?" Yukari smiled, but sobered once they entered the building and were met with less people, but all much closer together. She gasped when someone bumped into her and pushed her into Ruby, and she clung to the older witch's arm.

"It will just take a second," Tsukune said, throwing Yukari an apologetic glance. "I need to grab one of those prepaid phones."

"You should think about getting your own cell phone, Tsukune," Gin said, smirking. "Even I have one, and I don't even live in the human world most of the year."

"If you have one, let me use it!"

Gin looked away, snorting. "It'd help a lot more if I remembered to bring it, I guess."

Holding back a sigh, Tsukune led the way past the chattering crowds who stood together and exchanged new phone numbers or talked about overages. Reaching the counter, Tsukune made the exchange and nodded at the others begging glances to make the call outside.

"I wouldn't be able to hear in here anyway," Tsukune muttered, earning a chuckle from Moka. The girl's eyes lingered on him, a ghost of a smile still present.

_I'm glad he's sort of back to normal. I'm sure once we find his parents, things will be all right again. _

Once outside, Tsukune leaned against the wall and flipped the phone open, trying to ignore the curious stares the others sent it. "I hope she answers numbers she doesn't know," Tsukune said as he dialed. He held the phone to his ear, tapping his foot on the third ring. "Answer, Kyouko. Any other time and you can't wait to chat someone's ear off."

"_Love you too, cousin." _Tsukune jumped at Kyouko's voice, waving away the Moka's concerned glance.

"You know I mean it in the best way possible," Tsukune said. He swallowed, narrowing his eyes. "We're already in the city. We'll be home soon, then we can figure this out. How are you? Are you safe? No one weird came by and tried to do anything-no one's watching you or something like that-"

"_Tsukune, Tsukune, calm down!"_ He heard her exhale, a shaky chuckle to her voice. _"Yes, I'm okay. At least physically. Yes, I'm safe. No, I haven't seen anyone weird, and I haven't been watched. And wouldn't they be doing a bad job of watching me if I noticed? Which means they might be watching me...oh, no! What if they are?" _

Tsukune held the phone away from his ear at the last screech, eyes wide. "No, I'm sorry, Kyou! I just wanted to make sure-"

"_Oh my God, Tsukune, what if they are watching me? I don't want to be kidnapped too! And that's what happened, I'm pretty sure. But, I went to the police and tried to file a report, but they said it'd be a while before they could look into it. I think it's because their wallets were gone and there wasn't really anything wrong with the house. But that can't be the case! Tsukune, please get here soon, I don't want to be kidnapped!"_

Tsukune blinked, head swirling as he tried to sort through Kyouko's sudden onslaught of chatter. He shook his head, looking around before taking a deep breath. "Don't worry, Kyou. We'll be there soon and we can start looking ourselves. Just stay at your place till we get there."

"_Of course! I didn't tell my mom or dad yet-they're still on that business trip, and I don't know how much they should be involved. I'll keep a watch at the-"_

The line went dead, cold silence ringing in Tsukune's ears. His eyes widened and he pressed the phone harder to his ear, closing his eyes and trying to hear something, anything on the other end. He shushed the others when they began to ask him what was wrong, not realizing he had wobbled away from the wall and nearly fell to the ground with his trembling.

"Kyou?" he asked, his mouth drying. There was no shuffling on the other side. No sigh, or thump, or screams. Nothing. Nothing but silence.

Tsukune's heart dropped into his stomach. "Kyou? Kyou, answer me. Kyou? This isn't funny-don't pull stunts like this!" Tsukune snarled, ending the call and redialing his cousin's number. He slammed the phone back to his ear, ignoring the crack the phone made.

_Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring._

"_We're sorry, but the number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable. Please wait and try again later, or leave a message-"_

Tsukune gritted his teeth, looking away when the others sent his worried glances. He ended the call and tried again, heart picking up speed with each ring.

"_We're sorry, but the number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable. Please wait and try again later, or leave a message after the tone." _

Tsukune snapped the phone shut before the loud, flat tone could sound. He stared at the ground, face white and hands shaking. The world around him blurred, colors mixing and shapes becoming distorted blobs. He felt light in the head, his thoughts failing to connect.

"Tsukune?"

Moka's voice was a distant hum; Tsukune just shook his head and threw the phone in his bag, swinging it over his shoulder.

"Tsukune, what's-"

Swearing, he barreled down the walkway, the others scrambling to follow suit. He turned corners, pushing past people and nearly slamming into poles and buildings as he ran down the familiar pathways where he lived near his cousin.

His cousin, who wasn't answering her phone.

His cousin, who lived near his now missing parents.

His cousin, who had already encountered Hitomi Ishigami.

"Please, be all right!" Tsukune muttered between pants. "You have to be all right!"


End file.
